Short article, "Out-of-Doors in December" by Imogene C. Robertson, published in 1934 in the Buffalo Museum of Science magazine Hobbies Vol 13.2, pages 34.

Out-of-doors in December
By Imogene C. Robertson
seasons gone? Old autumn leaves
Fly on the wind, and now in wild De-
cember Soar like the birds who love and spring remember
--Gretchen O. Warren.
SHORTER and shorter grow
the days with ever-lengthen-
ing nights — glorious nights
with air clear and crisp through
which the stars come close to earth.
Orion dominates the evening sky, and
perhaps in the north the Aurora
flames. The sun will reach farthest
south this month, and Yuletide celebrates the beginning of the return
trip with its promise of awakening
to life all wild things. In Christian
lands we call this season Christmas,
commemorating the One who here
stands for resurrection and life.
The evergreen with its perennial
verdure has become a symbol of life,
and so we bring it into our homes at
this time and find cheer under its
fragrant boughs. There are several
from which to choose—pine and
spruce and hemlock, but do not go
to the woods for them. Better-shaped
trees are to be had from dealers, and
you will not despoil the woodlands.
Do you know that it is even possible
to tell the age of an evergreen tree
without cutting it down to count the
"rings?" Just notice the whorls of
branches encircling the limbs; each
one marks a season's growth.
In frozen fields teazels stand like
soldiers, row on row, tall spiny stalks
crowned with brown armored heads.
Here and there in dry pastures are
other upright spires, the mullein's
high, straight seed stalks. The spikes
of dry pods sway in the wind, scattering the small brown seeds. Examine some of them under a microscope,
and note the rugged corrugations of
the surface. Examine, too, the hairs
which form the thick white coat
covering the woolly leaves.
Where winter berries hang on
shrubs in the thicket you may see a
flock of cedar waxwings. Probably
they will stay while the berries last.
Tree sparrows have returned from
their summer in the arctic and will
help to cheer our winter woods and
fields. Weed seeds supply their
larder.
Red squirrels have donned their
new winter overcoats of thick fur and
are noisily chattering in the empty
trees. Stored nuts provide abundance for their sustenance. They have
caches of food in various places and
need not return to one spot for a
meal, taking it instead at the most
convenient stand. The chipmunk has
laid away a store of grain and nuts
also, but he is staying at home and
sleeping most of the time. His beech'
nuts are all shelled so that he has
only to wake and eat and drop off
to sleep again. Luxurious fellow!
Probably on many a day this month
the air will be filled with flakes of
falling snow. Let some of them
alight on the sleeve of your dark coat,
and look at them through a lens. The
delicate crystals are built up on the
hexagonal system, but never will you
find two alike. Visit the Buffalo
Museum of Science, and view the
wonderful Bentley photographs of
many of these intricately patterned
snow crystals. It will repay your
effort.

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Out-of-doors in December
By Imogene C. Robertson
seasons gone? Old autumn leaves
Fly on the wind, and now in wild De-
cember Soar like the birds who love and spring remember
--Gretchen O. Warren.
SHORTER and shorter grow
the days with ever-lengthen-
ing nights — glorious nights
with air clear and crisp through
which the stars come close to earth.
Orion dominates the evening sky, and
perhaps in the north the Aurora
flames. The sun will reach farthest
south this month, and Yuletide celebrates the beginning of the return
trip with its promise of awakening
to life all wild things. In Christian
lands we call this season Christmas,
commemorating the One who here
stands for resurrection and life.
The evergreen with its perennial
verdure has become a symbol of life,
and so we bring it into our homes at
this time and find cheer under its
fragrant boughs. There are several
from which to choose—pine and
spruce and hemlock, but do not go
to the woods for them. Better-shaped
trees are to be had from dealers, and
you will not despoil the woodlands.
Do you know that it is even possible
to tell the age of an evergreen tree
without cutting it down to count the
"rings?" Just notice the whorls of
branches encircling the limbs; each
one marks a season's growth.
In frozen fields teazels stand like
soldiers, row on row, tall spiny stalks
crowned with brown armored heads.
Here and there in dry pastures are
other upright spires, the mullein's
high, straight seed stalks. The spikes
of dry pods sway in the wind, scattering the small brown seeds. Examine some of them under a microscope,
and note the rugged corrugations of
the surface. Examine, too, the hairs
which form the thick white coat
covering the woolly leaves.
Where winter berries hang on
shrubs in the thicket you may see a
flock of cedar waxwings. Probably
they will stay while the berries last.
Tree sparrows have returned from
their summer in the arctic and will
help to cheer our winter woods and
fields. Weed seeds supply their
larder.
Red squirrels have donned their
new winter overcoats of thick fur and
are noisily chattering in the empty
trees. Stored nuts provide abundance for their sustenance. They have
caches of food in various places and
need not return to one spot for a
meal, taking it instead at the most
convenient stand. The chipmunk has
laid away a store of grain and nuts
also, but he is staying at home and
sleeping most of the time. His beech'
nuts are all shelled so that he has
only to wake and eat and drop off
to sleep again. Luxurious fellow!
Probably on many a day this month
the air will be filled with flakes of
falling snow. Let some of them
alight on the sleeve of your dark coat,
and look at them through a lens. The
delicate crystals are built up on the
hexagonal system, but never will you
find two alike. Visit the Buffalo
Museum of Science, and view the
wonderful Bentley photographs of
many of these intricately patterned
snow crystals. It will repay your
effort.